Nevada Blind Children's Learning Center

The Nevada Blind Children’s Learning Center is a special building serving special children that see life differently. The main design challenge was to create a unique building that would become a teaching tool while embracing all senses. When vision ability is removed from perception and the task is to design a learning center for blind children as young as 3 years of age; designing a building now becomes a challenge that must engage other senses. Careful consideration of touch, sound, color and light must blend into the architecture.

Early in the design process when meeting with NBCF board, and educators; the design team discovered that there are different levels of blindness, some children are able to perceive light and color; and sound and echo is used by these special children as way finding. Therefore, these became design strategies for the building.

The careful consideration and balance of touch, sound, color and light are integrated into the building design successfully creating a learning center that engages all senses while becoming a teaching tool in a safe environment, and preparing visually impaired children to live their lives independently and without fears.